It was the start of our Phnom Penh adventure and we're looking for our first meal in the city, it was dinnertime. After leaving two restaurants upon seeing the not-so-backpacker-friendly prices, we found a roadside eatery that would fit in our budget. Rice meals with various Khmer dishes were contained in pots and you choose whatever you want and will be given a portion of it; reminiscent of what we have back in the Philippines. For fifteen days, we searched for our food options in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Koh Rong Samloem and somewhat grasped the local food culture of Cambodia.
Filipinos are accustomed in having a three-meals-a-day routine which usually consists of rice meals. It was our third visit in Cambodia, but this time, we veered away from our usual Siem Reap routes and ventured into a new journey.
It was our annual backpacking trip, Same Same Summer Trip 2017, and we went back to some of our favorite countries in Southeast Asia to explore new destinations that we failed to visit during the past. We revisited Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam for two solid months; away from our comfort zone as well as our comfort food.
For fifteen days, we searched for local Khmer dishes
in the country. It was a hit or miss though because, well, our budget didn't
allow us to splurge as much as we want to.
So check out my recent food hunt in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Siem Reap
So check out my recent food hunt in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
Siem Reap
Our third visit in this city allowed us to curve
round with the usual Angkor temple tours. We decided our fate for the day the
moment we wake up each morning. For four days, breakfasts were spent at
Victoria Angkor Resort while our meals for lunch and dinner were either on a
mid-range restaurant or roadside eatery (check here for
discounted tours, transportation and activities in Siem Reap).
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| Khmer Kitchen, Siem Reap |
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| Iced Coffee ($2.50) So-So. Malaysian Coffee is still the best. |
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| Fish Amok ($6.50) Coconut cream, amok paste, long bean, onion, noni leaf and egg. Perfect with steamed rice! |
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| Pork Lok Lak ($5.00) Cambodian style fried lok lak with pepper sauce and topped with fried egg. One of my favorite Khmer dishes. |
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| Beef Lok Lak ($3.50) The sauce is tasty but the meat isn't tender. |
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| Fried Noodles and Baguette ($1.50 | $0.50) Riverside favorite snack. |
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| Bugs For Snacks Crispy. Crunchy. Tasty. But once is enough. Haha. |
Phnom Penh
It was a short and sweet stay at the capital
city of Phnom Penh for three days. We had our breakfasts at Billabong Hotel and Hostel, and all other meals were either on a fast food or hawker stalls. We
also met up with Kounila, a renowned travel blogger and entrepreneur who’s
based in Phnom Penh, and had a wonderful food trippin’ session at the Russian
Market (check here for
discounted tours, transportation and activities in Phnom Penh).
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| Finally, fast food! ($7.10) I'm missin' the fried chicken's gravy dip. |
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| Roadside Eatery Food #1 ($1.00) The meat is rubbery. |
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| Roadside Eatery Food #2 ($1.00) Tastes like Philippine sausages. |
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| Roadside Eatery Food #3 ($1.00) Tastes like the Philippines' Adobo with Egg. |
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| Roadside Eatery Food #4 ($1.00) Tastes like Beef Tapa. |
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| Bok Beer ($3.00) Cambodia Beer + chili + lime + salt You have to try this! |
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| Congee Stall |
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| Chicken Congee ($1.00) Sweet and Salty Congee. |
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| Meet-up with Kounila of www.wheninphnompenh.com |
Sihanoukville
We stayed at Otres Beach in Sihanoukville for
almost a week. For an area with limited dining options, we sought the comfort
of our resort, Penguin Pablo Bungalows, for our dinner and a local eatery at
the market for our brunch fix. Surprisingly, it was in Sihanoukville that I
truly appreciated the diversity of Khmer food.
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| Train Stop Food ($2.00) The pickled mango made all the difference. |
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| Bai Sach Chrouk ($1.50/meal) Khmer Traditional Breakfast We added fried egg which made it more yummy. |
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| Beachside Snacks ($1.00) The spicy sauce and sliced cucumbers were the perfect match. |
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| Fried Crustacean ($1.00) Feels like lobster but not quite. |
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| Fried Chicken, etc. ($4.00) Juicy and tasty. |
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| Local Premium Rum ($5.00) Handcrafted rum with the best quality Cambodian sugarcane. Distilled in 1800's copper still and aged in Freanch and American oak barrel with natural hints of oak, vanilla, caramelized honey, and dark chocolate. |
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| Klang Beer ($0.50) The cheapest on the minimart but gave the right buzz on the beach. |
Koh Rong Samloem
For three days, it was only on the first and
last day that we had a decent meal, blame it on the high cost of living on the
island Koh Rong Samloem. Both times, the two of us shared a meal of fish amok and steamed rice which was good for one person priced at $8.
All other meals were bought on a lone beachfront minimart such as sardines
($2), French baguette ($1), coffee ($1), and instant noodles ($1). In terms of
food, this part of the trip was the most depressing part (if only we have loads
of cash with us).
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| Fish Amok ($7.00) The most expensive amok we had but my least favorite. |
I like how Khmer food is somewhat similar to what I grew up eating back
home. I specifically loved lok lak, amok
and of course, the best green mangoes in the world plus the salt and chili dip
(Philippines still has the best ripe mangoes though). Next time, I’ll make sure
we have enough cash to spare on our glutton sessions, I’m sure there’ll be next
time.
Check here for discounted hotels in Cambodia
Thanks, Joe!:)
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